Chapter 25

World War Two

(1939-1945)

Rise of Dictators

• Democracies weak after WW1 (huge war debts, unemployment, hunger, homelessness)

• 1920’s - 1930’s dictators rise to power in both Europe and Asia

• All believe in totalitarian governments (absolute control over its citizens)

Faces of Totalitarianism

• Benito Mussolini• Believed in Fascism• 1922 Il Duce: “the

chief” of Italy• Goal: control the

Mediterranean Sea and Middle East

Faces of Totalitarianism

• German soldier WW1

• Believed in Nazism, a type of Fascism

• Published his beliefs in Mein Kampf

• Goal: form a master race of “Aryans” to rule the world

Faces of Totalitarianism

• Joseph Stalin• “man of steel”• Succeeded Lenin as

the Premier of the Communist Soviet Union 1924-1953

• Goal: spread world-wide communism

Faces of Totalitarianism

• General Francisco Franco

• 1939 Fascist leader of Spain

• Goal: restore Spain to prominence in Europe

Faces of Totalitarianism

• Hideki Tojo• Prime Minister of

Japan 1941• Totalitarian gov’t. • Goal: to control the

Far East and Pacific

Axis Powers Formed

• 1935: Hitler violated the Treaty of Versailles and forms a military alliance with Italy (Rome-Berlin Axis Pact)

• 1940: Japan joins the Axis Powers (Rome-Berlin-Tokeyo Axis Pact)

• League of Nations did nothing to stop the aggression (Isolationism)

Axis Powers

• Which flag represents which country?

• Which country was first to show signs of aggression?

Dictators become aggressive

• 1931 Japan invades Manchuria (why?)• 1935 Italy invades Ethiopia (why?)• 1936 Germany reoccupies the

Rhineland (western Germany) (why?)• 1937 Japan attacks China (why?)• 1938 Germany invades Austria • 1938 Germany invades the

Sudetenland (western Czech.)

Italy invades Ethiopia

Rhineland

World War Two: 1939-1945

Isolationism

• No one willing to challenge the aggressors. Why?

• U.S. deep in their own domestic issues: Economic depression

• Neutrality Laws passed by Congress (1935-1937). Designed to keep U.S. out of war.

Isolationism

• 1935 1st Neutrality Act: unlawful to sell weapons to countries at war

• 1936 2nd Neutrality Act: unlawful to give loans or credit to countries at war

• 1937 3rd Neutrality Act: unlawful to sell weapons to countries involved in civil wars (Spain)

Munich Pact 1939

• Following Hitler’s invasion of the Sudetenland, four world leaders met to discuss German aggression

• Neville Chamberlain (Great Britain)

• Edward Daladier (France)

• Benito Mussolini (Italy)

• Adolf Hitler (Germany)

Munich Pact

• Hitler promised “no more aggression” if he could keep the land already occupied

• Allies saw the policy as a victory for peace

• Known as the Policy of Appeasement (does not work--must meet aggression head on)

Russian-German Alliance

• Aug. 1939: Non-Aggression Pact signed between Germany and USSR.– Will not fight each other– Will jointly invade Poland and divide it between the

two countries

• Why did Hitler sign this pact?• Why did Stalin sign this pact?

Non-Aggression Pact

• Germany will eventually break the pact on June 22, 1941 and invade the USSR

• 3 million German soldiers will invade USSR

• Does Germany succeed in taking over USSR?

World War II Begins

• Sept. 1, 1939: Germany invades Poland

• Sept. 3, 1939: GB and France declare war on Germany and WW2 begins

Introduction of Blitzkrieg

• Lightning warfare

• Dive bombers (stukas) used in first wave of attacks

• Armored divisions (panzers) consisting of highly mobilized, mechanized tanks and mounted artillery used in second wave of attacks

Blitzkrieg

• What are the benefits of blitzkrieg?

• What are the draw backs of blitzkrieg?

• This is how warfare begins, even to this day.

“Cash and Carry”

• Nov. 1939, US reaction to the invasion of Poland was to pass 4th Neutrality Act called “Cash and Carry”.

• Required the nations at war to pay cash and carry the goods themselves (on US shores)

German Aggression continues

• Following the invasion of Poland:• Denmark• Norway• Netherlands• Belgium • Luxembourg• France

The Battle of Britain

• Aug. 1940 Winston Churchill becomes new Prime Minister of G.B.

• G.B. was last major country in Europe to conquer

• Hitler’s first defeat

• Royal Air Force, introduction of radar by British scientists save G.B

FDR and the Lend-Lease Act

• Congress approved the Lend-Lease Act in March, 1941. (G.B. out of cash)

• FDR given unlimited authority to direct material aid to any country defending itself against the Axis Powers

• rifles, machine guns, field guns, ammunition, destroyers, tanks, planes, trucks, food

• 50 billion in all

Lend-Lease

• Initially intended for Great Britain

• Expanded to include Soviet Union and China.

• Intensely debated by Congress. Gave the president the power to decide what could be lent out and who could receive it

US Prepares for War

• Summer 1941: Selective Training and Service Act. Began the draft of men 21-35.

• First peacetime military draft

• 16 million men drafted

Election of 1940

• FDR broke the two term tradition set by George Washington

• Ran against Republican Wendell Willkie

• Both candidates promised to keep Am. Out of war

• Very little difference between the two candidates

Moving Towards War

• Fireside Chat: U.S. had to help defeat the Axis threat by turning itself into “the great arsenal of democracy”

• U.S. Navy ordered to protect lend-lease shipments.

• FDR and Winston Churchill met secretly aboard a warship and signed The Atlantic Charter (war aims)

Troubles with Japan

• Japan’s goal was to dominate the Pacific

• Colonial powers controlled the parts of the Pacific (GB, Fr., U.S.)

• G.B. and France locked in a war in Europe

• Only country in Japan’s way: U.S.

U.S. reacts to Japan

• 1939: U.S. began trade embargo with Japan

• July 1941: U.S. cut off all trade with Japan. (crude oil, scrap iron, steel, cotton

• Aug. 1941: U.S. froze all Japanese assets in U.S.

War Inevitable

• Nov. 5, 1941: Special “peace” envoy flew to Washington for talks

• Same day Tojo ordered the Japanese navy to prepare for attack on U.S.

• U.S. broke the Japanese secret military code and knew an attack was coming

• Where would it be? Philippines, Guam?

War Inevitable

• Peace talks went on for a month

• Dec. 6 decoded message instructed Japan’s peace envoy to reject all proposals.

• “this means war”

• Read page 563-564

Attack on Pearl Harbor

• Nov. 25, 1941: 6 aircraft carriers, 2 battleships, 2 heavy cruisers, 11 destroyers left Japan. 423 planes on board carriers

• Destination: U.S. Pacific fleet headquarters--Pearl Harbor

Attack on Pearl Harbor

• First Attack: 7:55 AM, Dec. 7, 1941

• “A day which will live in infamy”

• “Air raid on Pearl Harbor. This is not a drill”

• Second Attack: 8:45 AM

• 2400 died, 1178 wounded

• Stunning blow to U.S. fleet

Pearl Harbor

• Sunk 3 U.S. battleships (Arizona, Utah, W.Va)

• One battleship capsized (Oklohoma)• 4 badly damaged• 350 planes destroyed/damaged• Japanese lost 29 planes• Japan struck Wake, Philippines, Guam,

Midway, Hong Kong, Malay Peninsula

U.S. goes to War

• December 8, 1941: Congress declares war on Japan

• Dec. 11, 1941: Germany and Italy declare war on the U.S.